Our case of the month for August involves a combination treatment called ABC. A is for alignment. Teeth straightening initially will not only give a greater aesthetic appearance but allow for further cosmetic treatments with a minimally invasive approach. B is for bleaching. Whitening your teeth can make a huge difference to your smile and self confidence. C is for cosmetic bonding. Teeth can be enhanced with bonding to the existing tooth structure rather than cutting away healthy enamel for veneers for example. Here is the initial smile for our patient. There is crowding of the teeth where the right lateral tooth is hidden from view, uneven edges and discolouration.
 

Do you have a fear of the dentist? Are you scared of the dental drill? Are you a needle phobic? If the answer to the above is yes, we can help. We are experts in providing virtually pain free dentistry and use the latest technology to offer alternatives to the dreaded dental drill and needles. Here are some ways that we can make dental treatment more comfortable and stress free:
 

Our case of the month for June is a Social 6 lingual brace to correct the upper front teeth. The Social 6 lingual brace is excellent for straightening the front 4 teeth, or the incisor teeth. The canine teeth are the anchors of the brace. Hence, the brace is placed on 6 teeth but can only correct the front 4 teeth.
 

We love transforming smiles; it is what we do and we are the best around! In this modern day and age, we need to be familiar with all of the latest dental techniques, technology and materials to be able to provide stunning smiles. For example, fifteen years ago, dental implants were a rare thing and hardly done. Nowadays, every dental practice on the high street offers dental teeth implants and there are over 400 hundred systems available worldwide, if not more! Of course, it would make sense if the majority of systems had the same design, used the same screws, screwdrivers and other components. Unfortunately, everyone wants to be different and there are thousands of varying components for dental implants. Thankfully, we have numerous implant kits and can manage most of the common systems on the market. Our case, was such a case where we had to work on a dental implant not placed by Dr Nissit Patel and using a different system. We also needed to replace some failing porcelain veneers. The end result was dramatic and a smile transformation in the true sense of the word.
 

It is absolutely freezing outside and the snow is still falling. Beast from the East meets Storm Emma and chaos ensues. However, we at Progressive Dentistry plough on as normal helping you to achieve the smile of your dreams and maintain a healthy mouth. We love creating new smiles that transform your outlook, give you greater confidence, radiate warmth no matter how cold outside! Our case study involves teeth straightening using a ceramic outside brace, followed by tooth whitening and composite bonding. A great technique that is non-invasive, involves NO drilling, NO needles, NO pain and is affordable! Please have a look at how we completed the case:
 

To achieve a perfect smile, many in the UK decide to go down the route of having dental veneers. However, understanding what type of veneers are best for you and how much they cost are key factors in deciding on whether they are the right choice for you. Let's take a look.
 

Our case of the month for February 2018 involves the treatment of tooth wear. Tooth wear is an increasing problem with modern day life. Stress, night time grinding and acidic diets all lead to loss of tooth enamel which is the hardest tissue in the body! The loss of tooth enamel leads to a weakening of the overall tooth structure exposing the underlying dentine which is much weaker and more susceptible to tooth decay and sensitivity. In the first instance, prevention is better than cure. Therefore, if you love acidic drinks and food, sorry, but you will have to change your diet. If you grind at night, a simple night guard will protect your teeth. 
 

Our case this month involved the replacement of existing veneers which were failing with new ones. For those of you who know very little about veneers, here are 5 key points:
 

1. Porcelain veneers are placed over the facial surface of the tooth to improve the aesthetic appearance
2. Almost all veneers require some level of tooth preparation i.e we have to cut your teeth!
3. Veneers can change the symmetry of the teeth to golden proportions i.e even central, lateral, canine teeth for example. This is particularly useful when one tooth is small in comparison to the adjacent teeth.
4. The veneer can be fully customized in terms of shade, differential contours, translucency at the edge, craze lines and light reflection.
5. Porcelain can be bonded to tooth enamel extremely well with a bond strength of up to 95kg/cm3. However, the bond strength to dentine is much less. Therefore, minimal preparation is best into enamel only.

The end result of our case is fabulous and truly world class. Please take a look:
 

We forgot to post our case of the month for December! With the excitement of Christmas, this completely slipped our mind. Well here it is. A dental implant case which involves replacing missing back teeth. Although not a cosmetic issue as such, replacing missing back teeth can have a major impact on ones lifestyle. Being able to eat properly should not be underestimated. After all, eating is one of life's great joys. Dental implants are the next best thing to natural teeth. If you have lost one, several or all of your teeth, implants are the gold standard replacement. Here are before and after photographs: